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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Revisiting Reanimates, Type One

More people are killed by Type One Reanimates than any other. They're just that ubiquitous, and many travelers are all too quick to dismiss them as a minor threat. It is true that the fastest they can move is a slow jog, nor are they much stronger than a normal human - most seem a bit emaciated in fact. Type Ones aren't known for subtly or grace either - although they don't speak or groan (of course, none of the reanimates vocalize) they are the most likely to just blunder through underbrush and puddles giving clear clues of their presence.

All the same, anyone with a good handle on their mental faculties and in good health has ways to avoid reanimates entirely. Chances are, you'll be facing the Type One in less than optimal situations. Furthermore, since they seem to hibernate in hidden places - its possible to think an area is clear, just to get ambushed. None of this is helped by their tendency to group up - dozens at a time is a very possible threat, disturbing an unexplored office tower could release hundreds.

Probably one of the more vexing things about the simple reanimate is that it doesn't use its brain. Put a bullet through its forehead, it won't notice. Right between the eyes - still not going to stop it. Through the chin at an upward angle - nope. The brain is already a small enough target - figure a five inch circle or so - but for a type one, you need to hit a certain part of it, at the low center - about where the spine and cranium meet. Short version - shave their mustache with a shotgun, or it will keep coming. You can knock them down for a short while aiming at the legs, but their bones seem to fuse in minutes, and then they're right back up.

Incinerate them, dissolve them, remove the head entirely and crush it with a sledgehammer separately, encase the things in concrete and dump it off a pier. If you haven't done that, they'll come back in a few hours. Or disappear and re-group.

Even the ones extra dumb individually show the strange group survival instinct reanimates are known for. Unlike movie zombies, reanimates will break off an attack that has almost no chance of success. This works both ways, unfortunately. If they don't seem to be giving up despite horrendous odds against them, chances are, the reanimates know something you do not - so be prepared to run!

As to appearance - do we really need to go over this? By now everybody knows that they look like a normal, but very unkempt person. Unless they have been in a fight with humans recently, there will be no tell-tale wounds or detached limbs like a move monster. They tend to move in a stiff jointed fashion, or appear drunk if a bit more limber than usual. Like all reanimates, they have a higher than normal body temperature - though you need a rather accurate themrograph to notice the roughly 2-3 degree C (6-9 F) difference, so don't rely on that method. About the only other notable physical sign is that they tend to shake their head a lot and scan the horizon by turning their heads rather than just shifting their eyes - but that is an easy thing to miss.

In game terms, the Type One would be a Sufficient Damage Index 2, 3 Necro Points, Jog (6) creature. People with weak weapons and minimal combat training are woefully unlikely to hit or penetrate the vital area. Fortunately their low SDI means that they can be torn apart by powerful weapons, or at least harmed by traps easily enough.

For physical stats, they have about Three in most areas, though four in close combat, and only two in ranged. Someone who was a notable physical specimen before reanimation might carry over these enhanced abilities, but weaknesses are compensated for by the reanimates unusual life-cycle. Rumor has it they can be trained, with some claims stating New Birmingham is amassing a small army of them equipped with old rifles.

Even without city-state interference, they can work their ways into hordes - SDI 3/HF3 for a small one, and SDI 4 HF 5 for bigger ones. Their SDI goes up as a horde, since their limited weak-spots mean the "spray and pray" tactics and shrapnel laden explosives normally needed to stop mass groups are not too effective.

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I have a degree in English, a minor in creative writing, and knowledge of technical editing. I am also a forum mod, and contributor to, 1km1kt.net
Direct questions or comments to Flanker39 (at) GMail.com
I've been writing games for several years now, and this is one that I hope to publish eventually.